


kiss it better

by emalemaleigh



Series: dreams dashed [2]
Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: Challenge Cup, Established Relationship, F/F, Facetime, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Long-Distance Relationship, NWSL, Portland Thorns, Smut, Soran - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-05 05:13:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,105
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25498906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emalemaleigh/pseuds/emalemaleigh
Summary: Lindsey’s team loses, Emily tries to make her forget.
Relationships: Lindsey Horan/Emily Sonnett
Series: dreams dashed [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1844140
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	kiss it better

**Author's Note:**

> This is partially inspired by the clips of Lindsey watching the Thorns game intensely and giggling at someone off screen. Also, I am fully aware this would violate all the COVID restrictions, but that’s why we call it fiction!

* * *

Lindsey could count on one hand the amount of times she had watched her team play from the stands. Not even on the bench, up in the stands. She had really agonized over whether or not to compete in this tournament, especially after talking with Tobin and why she wasn’t. But Lindsey couldn’t say no to soccer, she just didn’t know how. It had been tough enough these past few months, trying to push herself to train on her own. With no camps or games for the national team on the horizon, this could potentially be the only soccer she played for the rest of the year.

The other reason to go was probably just as important as the actual soccer: Sonny would be there. She and Emily had started dating last fall, after Lindsey spent the weekend in Georgia for Sonny’s birthday. The asking was the second part of the birthday gift, in addition to the necklace and a new toy for Bagel.

“Linds, matching chains? You’re just gifting the fans now, you know that, right?” She chuckled as she put it on. “It’s beautiful, I love it.”

She took a deep breath, preparing to launch into why she had gotten this particular gift. Christen and Tobin had those matching rings, why could she and Sonny have that? Plus, what better place to ask someone out than in their childhood bedroom where you’re about to share a bed? Looking back, Lindsey realized just weird it was.

“Sonny?” Emily hummed. “When we get back to Portland, would you want to have dinner with me?”

Emily looked at her like she had just asked if she wanted to run away to Belize for the rest of her life. “Umm… sure? You never have to ask, Linds.”

She wasn’t getting it. “No, Em, I mean would you like to _go out_ to dinner with me?”

“Well, you’re not allowed around a stove unsupervised anymore so unless you want me to make us something…”

“Oh my god, Emily! I’m trying to ask you on a date for crying out loud!” Lindsey covered her mouth, surprised by her own boldness.

Emily’s eyes went as wide as Lindsey had ever seen them. “Really?” Lindsey nodded and a smile spread across her face. “Hell yeah. You’re paying though.”

And it was that simple, it always was with them. Nothing really changed for them once they started dating, besides all the making out. Now, when they spent the night in each other’s apartments, they did more than sleep. Now, if Emily gets coffee before practice and brings one for Lindsey, she gets a kiss for her troubles.

They spent Christmas in Denver, the first time Emily had spent more than a day or two with Lindsey’s family at their home. They went back to Portland for New Years, where Caitlin and Ellie threw a big party. Looking back, Lindsey wished they had spent more time just the two of them before the news hit.

Emily found out about the trade a few days before it was announced and she curled into Lindsey’s lap when she got off the phone. They sat on the couch for an hour before she explained what happened. Lindsey made it her mission to shield Emily at camp, to protect her even when she claimed not to need it.

Before they reported to camp for the She Believes Cup, Lindsey helped her move into her new apartment and tried to make it feel a little like home. There was a rare morning when Lindsey woke before Emily, and she took it upon herself to find a way to make her girlfriend smile. She took a note pad from Emily’s new desk and stuck little love notes in random places. Some she would find today, like the one taped to the bathroom mirror, and others she wouldn’t find for weeks, like the one she’d hidden in a pocket of her soccer bag. And some she might not see for months, like the one in the pocket of her winter jacket. She knew her mission was accomplished when Emily walked out of the bathroom and kissed Lindsey, smiling into it.

The pandemic had left them stranded, separated by over two thousand miles and with no end in sight. Once this Challenge Cup has been proposed, it became a no-brainer. Emily needed minutes in front of Vlatko and for her new team.

So, when Lindsey picked up the phone that Monday morning, she thought nothing of it. She was met with Emily’s quiet sniffles. She should have known something was wrong when Emily called, rather than FaceTimed, that she didn’t want to show her face.

“I won’t go, Son, not without you. Come to Portland and stay with me for a while, I miss you so much.”

“Absolutely not. You are going to that tournament and you’re going to kick ass and win the whole damn thing, plus the MVP trophy. Is there and MVP trophy for this? Well, there should be and you’ll win it.”

“Son…”

“No, Lindsey, you will not miss this because of me. I know you, and I know how excited you are to play again. I’ll be your biggest fan from the couch. At least there I can yell and throw popcorn at the TV.”

***

The game against the Courage was one the most mentally draining games she’d played in a long time. It was blazing hot and the turf was burning the bottoms of her feet. Lindsey also played more defensively than she normally would, tiring herself out even more.

Just after halftime, she had a collision with one of the Courage players and it took a long time for her to get up. Her hip had been bothering her the past few days but the pain was searing now. She could hear Emily in her ears, _“fuck the Courage but you getting hurt isn’t worth it”_ but tried to ignore it.

She pushed so hard for a few more minutes, but finally, the pain was unbearable. She stayed down, eying Pierre as he ran on.

She shook her head. “I can’t. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

“It’s okay, Linds. Takes strength to realize that. Let’s get you patched up.” He helped her to her feet and led her off the pitch. As she was walking off, she could feel the tears threatening to push through.

“Fuck!” She yelled, pulling at her sweaty jersey. Then, in a much quieter voice, she turned back to Pierre. “Don’t let me cry.”

He told her a very inappropriate joke that got a small laugh out of her. She laid out on the training table and while he worked on her, Lindsey checked her phone.

**_Dasani_ ** _: good luck Linessi, kick ass_

**_Dasani_ ** _: dude you are killing it_

**_Dasani_ ** _: who taught you how to play defense?_

**_Dasani_ ** _: i bet she was pretty_

**_Dasani_ ** _: fuck linds i know that hurt_

**_Dasani_ ** _: are you okay? give me a sign here_

**_Linessi_ ** _: Don’t worry I’m alive_

**_Linessi_ ** _: Hurts like a bitch though_

**_Dasani_ ** _: hang tough babe_

**_Dasani_ ** _: you’re the strongest person i know_

**_Dasani_ ** _: you are the great horan after all_

Lindsey smiled just a little at Emily’s words. She made her way back out to the bench, just in time to watch Morgan score the game winning goal. She would have jumped for joy if she could, but instead she yelled as loudly as she could.

***

Emily didn’t care to watch the postgame show. Honestly, her interest in the game diminished to almost nothing the moment Lindsey left the field. When the game ended, she knew she had a little time before Lindsey would be able to talk on the phone so she set her plan into motion.

“S’up, Son?” Kelley was in the middle of her game day stretching on the floor in her living room.

“Can I come stay with you for a few days? I’ve been isolating and all my tests have been negative and…”

“Sonny, slow down.” Kelley said in a slightly worried voice. “You’re welcome here anytime, okay? You never have to ask. What’s wrong?” Before Emily got to answer, Kelley kept talking. “Are you and Lindsey okay? Did she do something? I swear if she hurt you, I’ve seen enough _Law & Order,_ no one will find the body.”

Most of the time, Emily was incredibly grateful for Kelley’s friendship and her overprotective, big sister attitude. She knew Kelley would gather the townspeople with their pitchforks and sic them on anyone that hurt her at a moment’s notice.

“Slow your roll, Miss Kelley, everything is fine.” She said. “Lindsey got hurt in her game today and I know she’s going to be down in the dumps about it.”

“But they won..” Kelley interjects.

“I know. But she’s going to be upset. And she’ll never admit it but she knows she probably won’t play in the semifinal.” Kelley nodded along. “So, I can come?”

“Of course you can. No sex in my apartment though, at least while I’m here.” Emily flipped her off before wishing Kelley good luck in her own game that night.

When Emily arrived the next day, Kelley had already set up the guest room for her, claiming she couldn’t sleep well after her team lost, which for Kelley was probably true.

She was waiting to surprise Lindsey after the semifinal, hoping it would be for celebratory reasons but was prepared to console her as well. She figured out the backside of Kelley’s apartment building looked similar to her own so when she FaceTimed with Lindsey, she was none the wiser. The day before the game, Lindsey looked exhausted, laying on the hotel bed.

“You look like shit.” Emily greeted her.

“Thanks, Son. You sure know how to make a girl feel special.” Lindsey chuckled sarcastically.

“How’s your hip?” Emily knew better than to let Lindsey dictate the conversation and skate around talking about her injury.

“It’s fine.” She replied flatly, not making eye contact.

“Lindsey…”

“Can we talk about something else please? I just want happy things when we talk, okay?”

That told Emily all she needed to hear. “Okay, you want to talk about how you keep telling people _I’m_ the one calling _you_ all the time when it obviously the other way around?” Lindsey blushes and gets ready to protest but Emily keeps going. “Speaking of happy things, I’m sending you this TikTok, it cracked me up.” Lindsey smiled softly and, just like that, they moved on.

***

**_Linessi_ ** _: I’m not playing_

**_Linessi_ ** _: Can’t even sit on the bench this sucks_

**_Dasani_ ** _: i’m sorry babe_

**_Dasani_ ** _: it’s for the best though, you know it_

**_Linessi_ ** _: Just let me be sad for a little while_

**_Dasani_ ** _: never_

If Lindsey thought coming in off the bench or getting subbed out early sucked, watching from the stands was the absolute worst. Sophia had to smack her a few times to get her to stop bouncing her leg so violently, which probably wasn’t good for her hip.

They lost. They lost to the fucking _Dash_ in the same week they’d beaten the Courage. 2020 really was alive and well in this tournament.

Unknown to Lindsey, Emily was sitting in one of the boxes at Rio Tinto. Kelley had used her special powers to allow it. She sat there and barely watched the game, her eyes more focused on a blonde ponytail just below her. She knew Lindsey had her phone but also knew that she would be so keyed in on the game that it probably wouldn’t leave her pocket until the whistle blew.

If it weren’t for her girlfriend, Emily would probably have been a little happy to see the Thorns lose, just out of spite. She watched Lindsey dig her phone out of her bag while waiting for the team to leave.

**_Linessi_ ** _: Now will you come to Portland with me?_

**_Dasani_ ** _: i might be able to swing that_

**_Dasani_ ** _: though you might not want to ship me off right away_

**_Dasani_ ** _: i just got here_

**_Linessi_ ** _: ??_

**_Dasani_ ** _: look up and to your right_

When they made eye contact, Lindsey couldn’t believe it. She broke out into uncontrollable giggles and her teammates looked at her like she was crazy.

**_Dasani_ ** _: hi baby_

**_Linessi_ ** _: How did you…_

**_Dasani_ ** _: meet me outside the tunnel_

**_Dasani_ ** _: i’m hiding_

Lindsey’s feet couldn’t carry her fast enough. She jogged through the tunnel, frantically searching until she saw blonde hair poking out from behind a tree.

“You know, this isn’t a very good hiding spot.” She giggled.

Emily peaked out from behind the tree, grinning. “Maybe I was hoping I’d be easy to find.”

Lindsey didn’t respond with words. She threw her arms around Emily and kissed her deeply. It was like she was trying to make up for the months they’d missed out on. Eventually, they pulled apart, both breathing heavily.

“You’re here. How are you here?”

“I’ve been staying at Kelley’s for a few days. Wanted to be here for you.” Lindsey punched her in the arm. “Ow! What the fuck?”

“You’ve been here for _DAYS_? And you didn’t tell me?”

“It was a surprise!” Emily whimpered.

“You’re lucky you’re cute or I would be so mad at you.”

“Oh.” Emily snorted. “So, you punching me was a happy thing?”

“Shut up.” Lindsey groaned, pulling them back together for another kiss.

***

Kelley found a way to make herself scarce from her own apartment and Lindsey was eternally grateful. Seeing Emily, in-person for the first time in months, was doing things to her. She couldn’t keep her hands to herself and her smile was plastered to her face. She had talked to the person with her team in charge of their flights and travel, telling her that she was staying in Utah. The team tried to put up a fight, but Lindsey spun on her heel, refusing to argue about it.

When they got to the apartment, Lindsey couldn’t hold back anymore. Emily was always the one with more self-control in their relationship. How else would she have managed to hide herself in the same city for days? Lindsey probably would have lasted twenty minutes if the roles were reversed. She reached her hands underneath Emily’s shirt, dragging her nails across her girlfriend’s abs. She started kissing down from Emily’s jaw to her collarbone.

“God, I missed you.” She breathed into Emily’s neck. “Missed being able to do this.” She tugged on the shirt, pulling it over Emily’s head.

Stepping back to admire her beautiful girl, Lindsey saw Emily’s eyes were dark and hooded. She lifted Lindsey’s shirt and bra, her mouth making its way all over her chest and stomach.

“I missed you so fucking much, Linds.” Emily walked them back to the bed, pushing Lindsey down. She ran her hands all over Lindsey’s body, coming to rest on her hips. “How are you feeling?”

“Em, this is not the time…”

Emily cut her off, her fingers dancing across Lindsey’s lower abdomen. “Can I help? Let me make it better.” She knelt down, ghosting her lips across Lindsey’s hipbone.

“Fuck.” Lindsey was going to have to channel Emily’s self-control or else she might come before they actually did anything. Being apart, unable to touch each other for so long, she was already close to the edge and Emily hadn’t even done anything. She pulled their mouths back together, letting Emily straddle her, reaching around to cup her ass and squeeze it just a little. Once she got ahold of herself a little more, Lindsey flipped them over, trailing her hands down toward Emily’s center.

“You’re so fucking hot, Em. I love you so much.” Emily loved that Lindsey only ever called her Em when they were alone, it was their little thing.

“You know, just being around you today, even when you didn’t know, got me so wet, Linds. So fucking wet.” Lindsey moaned loudly, her fingers sliding into Emily’s underwear. “Yeah, oh fuck, fuck…!”

Lindsey loved making Emily squirm. She buried her fingers deep inside while sucking a spot just below her jaw into a bruise.

“You feel so good, Em. So fucking good, it’s been so long.” Emily was making incoherent sounds, mewling under Lindsey’s touch. When she came, Lindsey swallowed her girlfriend’s moans with a kiss.

It took a few minutes for Emily to come down, especially when just looking at Lindsey in the flesh was working her right back up. “I was supposed to do that to you! Was trying to help you feel better.”

She chuckled, head dealing back against the pillow.

“I feel so good right now, Em. You being here all I need. But, I’ll never say no to you.” She winked.

Soon enough, Emily’s head was buried between Lindsey’s legs, her moans loud as she gripped Emily’s hair and tried to grind on her mouth.

“That’s it, right there. You’re so good Em, yes, so good. Yes, oh fuck, yes, I’m going to come. Fuck, Em!”

Emily slowly made her way back up until she and Lindsey were face to face. She pecked her lips before snuggling into Lindsey’s side, where she belonged.

“Em?” Emily hummed in response. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Are you kidding? For being you, for putting up with me, for flying across the country in the middle of a pandemic? I can go on and on.”

Emily just kissed her again. “If you must.” She smiled. “Seriously Linds, you don’t have to thank me. I want to be wherever you are and I want you to be happy. I’m sorry about your leg, but we’ll get though it. I love you so much, Lindsey Horan.”

Lindsey pressed a kiss into Emily’s hair. “I love you too, Emily Sonnett. I guess I’ll keep you around.”

“You’re never getting rid of me, sorry.”

A few minutes later, the front door of the apartment opens and they could hear Kelley in the kitchen. Her steps came down the hall, stopping at the bedroom door.

“Y’all have to do your own laundry, those sheets are new!” And then she shuffled off to her own room, leaving the two blondes giggling.

“I got us a flight home tomorrow, to Portland.” Lindsey felt her eyes water when she called it “home”.

“It hasn’t felt like home in a long time, without you there.”

Emily missed her one more time. “We’ll make it home again. Plus, I need to meet Ferguson. I cannot believe I haven’t had the chance yet.”

Lindsey laughed again, pulling her close. Being together like this, she had nearly forgotten about the game, exactly as Emily planned it.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it! Not sure if there will be more to this “series” beyond maybe something after the final. If there is another installment, would you rather Emily/Kelley or Emily/Lindsey? Comment below and let me know if you enjoyed!


End file.
